GREAT READER COMMENT:I think the headline on the Spot today could just say “Enviros mad” and stop there.

Carpe per diem. An effort to hike per-diem payments had become a controversy that could have implications for the November election. A look at how much per diem lawmakers are collecting. The Denver Post.[2]

Fight. Two surprise late-afternoon amendments ignited a partisan fight in the House Education Committee that ended with the sponsor walking out on his own bill. Ed News.[3]

Tuition[4] hike derailed. Public outcry over tuition-funded raises for top University of Colorado[5] officials derailed plans for a 15.7 percent tuition increase, a regent testified Monday before state lawmakers considering a bill designed to make state colleges more fiscally transparent. The Daily Camera.[6]

Tasty. A House panel on Monday unanimously approved a proposal to legalize the sale of some homemade foods and stripped out a cap on how much producers of the goods can earn. The Pueblo Chieftain.[7]

Bada bing. After a three-month investigation, 9Wants to Know has uncovered welfare cash-withdraws at ATMs in strip clubs, casinos, bingo halls and amusement parks despite a state law banning such transactions at some businesses. 9News.[9]

Yank this. Environmental groups on Monday urged Gov. John Hickenlooper to yank ads paid for by the Colorado Oil and Gas Association in which he claims there has been no contamination of groundwater associated with drilling and hydraulic fracturing. The Denver Post.[10]

And more pot. Colorado voters in November will decide whether limited possession of marijuana[13] for any purpose should be legalized. If passed, the initiative would make Colorado the only state in the nation to legalize marijuana[13] for recreational use. The Denver Post.[14]

HOAs. Colorado law doesn’t specify what records a homeowners association must maintain and make available, and associations can deny requests they think lack a “proper purpose.” A bill sponsored by Rep. Angela Williams, D-Denver, and backed by an industry group, seeks to lay out clearer disclosure rules. The Denver Post.[15]

Impact. Legislation to allow businesses to comment on the fiscal impact of proposed bills on their companies received preliminary approval along party lines in the Colorado House — with Republicans arguing it could help avert layoffs and Democrats saying it gives businesses more power than other interest groups on Legislative measures. The Denver Business Journal.[16]

Map wars[17]. The Colorado Supreme Court in December chose a Democratic-drawn map for new congressional boundaries. On Monday, it explained it’s reasoning. AP via The Denver Post.[18]